


Elementary Map-Reading

by Glinda



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Getting Lost is half the fun, Road Trip, Volcanoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-15
Updated: 2011-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-14 18:49:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/152339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glinda/pseuds/Glinda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why was it, Sam wondered, that she could navigate with ease, in the dark, upside down, under fire and in space – sometimes all at once – but put her on a long straight road on holiday and within an hour she’d be completely lost and nauseas?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Elementary Map-Reading

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eponymous_rose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eponymous_rose/gifts).



Sam frowned slightly as she peered out the window of the car at the road signs along the autobahn. The sky was heavy and grey, though it was unclear whether this was from ash or just the normal rain that tended to follow her around the continent whenever she found herself in Europe. Sam had long ago resigned herself to accept that any conference she ever attended in London would be singularly lacking it a picturesque dusting of snow, or of bright late autumn mornings crunching through frosted leaves. Instead it would be marked by unrelenting drizzle.

However, she’d had such hopes for Berlin. Opportunities to get to actual scientific conferences, let alone ones outside of the US were all too rare these days, so she’d jumped at the chance. She’d even convinced Teal’c to accompany her with tales from her old academy buddies about hiking in stunning mountains, swimming in remote lakes and gothic fairytale castles. So naturally what they’d got was a weekend of torrential rain, that had made going anywhere outside unbearable – however ‘exceedingly informative’ Berlin’s underground public transport system was it wasn’t what Teal’c had signed up for – and then as soon as the weather showed the slightest indication of improving they had been recalled to Washington to help deal with Kinsey’s latest political machinations. Eleventh hour rescue from a plunge into the pit of vipers that was politics had seemed to appear in the form of an ash cloud – courtesy of an Icelandic volcano – which had grounded all flights out of Germany. Unfortunately neighbouring countries to the south were still allowing flights, which was why there were on the autobahn avowedly heading for Zurich but really going in what Sam strongly suspected was the wrong direction.

Why was it, Sam supposed, that she could navigate with ease, in the dark, upside down, under fire and in space – sometimes all at once – but put her on a long straight road on holiday and within an hour she’d be completely lost and nauseas?

The pulled off the autobahn, onto a side road, as they searched for somewhere to eat and examine the map in comfort. As they rounded a bend on the quiet twisty road, the clouds parted and a stunning view down the valley to the river was revealed. On an island in the middle of the river sat a small but perfectly formed castle – a customs house her memory supplied, dredging up the information from a long ago postcard. This was part of the Rhine Valley.

It was, she realised all at once, both one of the most beautiful views she’d ever seen and a sign that they were totally lost.

Teal’c pulled the car over and pointed down at the castle, “is this one of the castles that I have heard tell of in the histories and legends of the Tau’ri?” He asked.

Sam was fairly certain that this wasn’t remotely the kind of castle populated by knights in armour or attacked by dragons but it was a castle and she’d promised him a castle. Secretly she’d been really looking forward to hearing his observations as they toured a bit of earth architecture that was every bit as strange to her as to him. Zurich and the flight home could wait.

“You know Teal’c,” she replied smiling for the first time in hours, “I think it is. Lunch and a castle seems an excellent idea.”

“Indeed,” agreed Teal’c.

Even though the sky had clouded over once more, the day seemed brighter already.


End file.
